Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware

In December 2004, Microsoft purchased Giant Company Software, Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Giant produced three products: Spam Inspector, Popup Inspector, and Giant Antispyware, but Microsoft’s interest seems to be almost entirely in the anti-spyware technology. In January 2005, Microsoft made a beta version of the Microsoft-branded Giant product available for download.

So why look at this as one of the top ten spyware-filtering solutions? Based on the fact that Microsoft will be making this available in all its upcoming operating systems, the technology in Giant will quickly become some of the most widely used anti-spyware technologies out there. What I do here is talk a little about what Microsoft has provided in the beta release and what it is likely to provide in the future, according to its grand plan to save us all found at www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/strategy.mspx.
Here’s a quick look at the features (or lack thereof) the Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware product currently offers as I write this book:

• An anti-spyware tool: This tool scans your hard drive and memory for
  known spyware and helps you delete the spyware it finds. It also includes
  prevention technology that watches 59 checkpoints for spyware trying
  to install itself to keep your computer from getting infested in the first
  place. All these offerings are similar to those of other products men¬
  tioned in this chapter.
• SPYNET: THIS IS A 100,000-MEMBER COMMUNITY WHOSE MEMBERS REPORT
  NEW SPYWARE AS THEY FIND IT, ADDING TO THE LIST OF DETECTABLE BADNESS.
  SPYNET IS INCLUDED IN THE BETA PRODUCT, AND ACCORDING TO MICROSOFT’S
  ROADMAP, IT PLANS TO MAINTAIN SPYNET IN SOME FORM.
• No form of central management: It would be surprising if Microsoft
  doesn’t add this in the near future. Microsoft understands the need for
  central management of security infrastructure, and I definitely expect to
  see enterprise-friendly changes to the Giant product in the near term.
  Based on Microsoft’s strategy document, it plans to combat spyware using a combination of technology, consumer guidance and education, industry colВ¬laboration, legislation, and law enforcement. Each of these areas is important to start turning the tide on this threat, but the following list focuses on technology you might expect in the future from this product:
• The same or similar monitoring software: The product will continue to
  use software agents that monitor Internet, system, and application settings for unauthorized attempts to make changes.
• Extend the product to provide more system explorers, which allow
  users to see exactly what is running in the system and choose to eliminate stuff they don’t want: System explorers are intended for experts
  who can examine a detailed list of software and files and make informed
  decisions about what should and shouldn’t be on the system.
• Complete user control over what is loaded and starts running on the
  Windows operating system: This is more of a long-term strategy, and
  the Giant Company Software acquisition is a move in that direction for
  Microsoft. I think it’s critical to mention this here because whatever
  Microsoft chooses to bundle for free will have a major impact on all the
  other commercial offerings.

Also check out:
Ten Spyware blockers programs for Businesses